COUPLESKelly Ripa Reveals the Secret Signal She Gives Husband Mark Consuelos to Let Him Know They Won't Be Getting Intimate
Kelly Ripa shared the hilarious signal she uses to tell Mark Consuelos they’re not getting intimate.
April 2 2026, Published 7:47 a.m. ET
Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos have their own hilarious way of communicating when it comes to intimacy.
On the Wednesday, April 1, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, the couple shared a funny story after talking about koalas, noting how the animals don’t seem bothered by rejection since they simply go to sleep instead, which led them to share an anecdote.
Ripa couldn’t resist teasing her husband, joking, “It's like you!”
Consuelos played along, adding, “I come to bed with my little eucalyptus leaf, and I'm like, 'Hey, you want to fool around?' No? Okay.”
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos spoke about how they communicate in the bedroom.
That’s when Ripa revealed her own not-so-subtle signal.
“He hears the retainer pop in, it's like a chastity belt,” she said, prompting laughs from the audience.
Consuelos doubled down on the joke, explaining, “When you put it in, it's like, click, click, click. Alright, guess I'm going to bed.”
The couple has never shied away from sharing candid details about their relationship, and this isn’t the first time Ripa has gotten real about their dynamic behind closed doors.
During a July 2025 appearance on Amanda Hirsch’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, Ripa opened up about their different preferences when it comes to timing.
"I don’t know about you, in your marriage, but I’m going to go personal. Are you an evening person or a morning person?" she asked Hirsch.
After Hirsch replied, "Definitely evening. Do not breathe on me in the morning," Ripa jumped in with her own take.
Kelly Ripa uses her retainer as a signal to tell Mark Consuelos she's going to bed.
She shared her theory that men tend to prefer intimacy in the morning — something she finds less than appealing, even calling it "disgusting."
The mom-of-three, 55, joked that Consuelos is firmly in that camp.
“He'll never learn. He's a guy,” she quipped.
- Kelly Ripa Complains About Mark Consuelos' 'Disgusting' Desire to Have Morning Intercourse
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- 'Tired' Kelly Ripa Rolls Her Eyes as Husband Mark Consuelos Admits He Used to 'Drag' His Wife to Late-Night Dinners Before Joining 'Live': Watch
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Still, Ripa said she’s tried to meet in the middle, explaining how she’s pushed for a compromise.
"I said to him, 'Here’s the thing, there needs to be a yin and a yang here. It can’t always be your way. ‘Cause it feels like 90 percent of the time it’s your way. And now that we work together every day, it’s gonna have to sometimes be my way, and my way’s at night only,'" she recalled.
The couple often jokes about their relationship during their show.
Beyond timing, Ripa also admitted mornings just aren’t her best moment — especially when it comes to romance.
"I have a retainer in. I gotta rip that out. And he’s got his nasal strips on. It’s like we are the most repulsive, disgusting [people]," she joked.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos share three kids.
She added that men “don't care,” even joking that the "d--- has a brain of its own."
"I’m already pre-disgusted for tomorrow morning," she sarcastically said.
Despite all the jokes, Ripa made it clear their relationship is still strong — and active.
"It's like exercise. The more you do it, the more you do it. You just have to do it, and then you’re like, 'Oh! I remember why I like this,'" she admitted.
She also reflected on how challenging it can be to keep that spark alive while balancing family life and work.
"You’re exhausted, your kids are young, you’re working full-time, you have a lot on your plate, and that can easily get pushed by the wayside," she concluded.
